Wrapping up Jones' day and 4-0 win

Adam Jones headed back out to right field today in the top of the ninth inning, but he didn't stay there. He didn't see another pitch thrown from that vantage point.

Joey Rickard was sent out to replace him and Jones turned to the fans behind him who spent the day holding up "Cap10" signs in his honor and waved his cap to them. He hugged Rickard and first baseman Trey Mancini. He tipped his cap to the Astros as they stood and applauded him, and embraced everyone in his own dugout, one at a time, as they lined up.

"Oh, man, it was an honor going out there and kind of being the guy to go in for him, to be the first one to say thank you and congrats," Rickard said. "He's done so much for this city and it was something special."

Manager Buck Showalter embraced Jones, who earlier exchanged home run handshakes with Tim Beckham before they hugged.

Three Orioles pitchers combined on a one-hitter with left-hander Paul Fry earning his first major league win in a 4-0 victory before an announced crowd of 24,916 that brought the season total for 78 home dates to 1,564,192.

The Orioles close their worst season in franchise history with a 47-115 record.

Pitching would have dominated the story on a normal day, but Jones was the focal point. He handed out bats, balls and batting gloves to fans, explaining later that he had too much stuff and needed to get rid of it. He stood alone in center field while teammates hung back and applauded, a plan that Jones was oblivious to until it hatched. He kept receiving long ovations before every at-bats while going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

The loudest cheers were reserved for his final at-bat with Jonathan Villar at second base and two outs. Collin McHugh stepped behind the mound, closer to second base than the rubber, as the noise grew louder.

Again, Jones took a couple of practice swings, moved to the plate and nodded for the game to resume, the same sequence that unfolded in the first inning. He didn't raise his helmet or wave to the crowd. There wasn't a J.J. Hardy moment.

The tip of the cap in shallow center field before the anthem, while teammates applauded from the dugout, would be the only real showing of emotion until the ninth.

"I appreciate everybody's support," he said. "I just show up to work every day, so I appreciate the people who appreciate it.

"Eleven years here, a lot of games, a lot of blood, sweat and tears, so I greatly appreciate it from the fans' standpoint. My teammates for sending me out there on an island all by myself. I didn't know that was going to happen. Buck for letting me have an inning in center field, where I started at.

"It's been a cool weekend. Like I said, I'm very appreciative and humbled that people concur. Now the game's over, the season's over and the next chapter starts. Time to be a full-time father."

Jones tipped his cap to the crowd while standing alone in center field, and waved a few times after coming off the field in the ninth and completing his postgame MASN interview.

He said it felt "weird" to be the only player out of the dugout prior to first pitch.

"Because I'm never on the field all by myself," he said. "Weird, but very appreciative of my friends, my teammates, for acknowledging my hard work and dedication to the game.

"It was cool. I tipped my cap and showed my appreciation to the crowd. I saw David Wright do it last night and have seen a lot of players do it throughout their career. Just did what came to my mind."

Showalter had to orchestrate everything, making sure the other eight players stayed back. That Rickard ran onto the field at the precious moment. That the umpires knew the plan.

"It's about doing what's right for Adam, OK? And really for Baltimore. So it's pretty easy," Showalter said.

Jimmy Yacabonis didn't get much of the spotlight today, but he held the Astros to one run over four scoreless innings, walking two batters, striking out one and hitting one. He finishes the season, with all of its one-day trips between Norfolk and Baltimore, with a 5.40 ERA in 40 innings.

Fry retired all nine batters he faced to run his streak to 21 in a row and thrust himself firmly in the plans for 2019. Mychal Givens retired all six he faced.

Fry recorded his three outs in the sixth on ground balls to second baseman Steve Wilkerson, which should bring some sort of recognition.

The Orioles had one hit off Charlie Morton in three scoreless innings, but Brad Peacock was charged with four runs (three earned) in the fourth. Mancini had an RBI single and Beckham and Renato Núñez followed with RBI doubles.

DJ Stewart reached on an infield hit and stole second base, and catcher Max Stassi's throwing error increased the lead to 4-0.

The lead held up and so did Jones under all the fuss.

"You know, a lot of people talk about putting on a moment," Showalter said. "Some of them are put together by good music and things that create some environment. Here in Baltimore, it's put on by people, by the emotion and the deep love they have for guys like Adam.

"Guys like Adam are very special to people here in our city. You've got to really make sure that you take that responsibility very seriously, whether you're a coach or a player or a manager. I'm not saying somebody else doesn't. I love getting things that other people don't get. And if you don't get Baltimore ... it's just people that are very passionate about the Orioles doing well. And there's always a payback for it."

Showalter became emotional when asked whether he heard fans cheering him after he came onto the field in the third inning to dispute a hit by pitch ruling.

"Talk about the baseball game," Showalter said. "That's where we're going to leave it today."

Well, for a little while.

Showalter spoke about Yacabonis, the teams being in swing mode, the time of game (2 hours, 23 minutes), Givens really looking like a pitcher and making him feel better about where the reliever is headed, how Fry's "really made a dent in things here."

"He's been fun to watch and he's run through the door of opportunity," Showalter said, asking later whether there's been a 27-pitch nine-inning game.

The stalling finally had to end.

Did Showalter hear the crowd?

"What do you think?" he said. "OK."

What did it mean to him?

"We won the game. They were happy we won," he said. "I'm not going to go there. Thanks. You know how much it means to me."

Showalter's voice cracked a little.

"Are we good?" he asked, his usual postgame sign-off to the media.

We were good.